One of the ongoing messages of Ecclesiastes is that all things in this world are hevel (הֶבֶל). Typically translated “vanity” or “meaningless” the word actually means “smoke, breath, or mist.” Repeated over 40 times in this short book, the writer of Ecclesiastes wants us to see that everything we would typically look to for permanence in this world is hevel, a mirage. The one constant, he notes, is the steady march of time and the inevitability of death. 

While at first this sounds horribly depressing, it is the first step in a journey of seeking out true joy and lasting purpose.